U.S. Middle Market Continues Healthy Plateau The U.S. private equity middle market remains strong, tracking relatively within the record ranges of last year. At 474 closed transactions in Q3 for a total of $80 billion in invested capital, 2015 is now at just over 1,400 deals and a total of $250 billion. That puts it…
Median Multiples for U.S. PE Wane Further Even taken with a grain of salt, the decline in median EBITDA multiples for U.S. private equity buyouts has become more and more pronounced as third quarter numbers roll in. Faced with the headache of high valuations, PE firms have not only been dialing down activity—albeit at a…
Overall Optimistic, Investors See Choppiness Ahead Private equity firms typically target companies that are in trouble. It’s the heart of the traditional buyout model, which, although shifting as the industry matures, remains the core of PE dealmaking. However, the relative health of target companies can shift considerably depending on overall deal trends—nowadays is no exception….
With High Valuations Persisting, PE Buyers Still Cautious PE dealmakers are still grappling with increased regulatory scrutiny and stubbornly persistent high valuations. The chance to ameliorate price pressures still remains, with lending markets left wide open by ongoing competition… Subscribe to Read MoreAlready a member? Log in here...
LP Direct PE Investment Signaling Shift in Industry Limited partners have been steadily dialing up direct investing over the past few years. Prominent LPs such as CPPIB and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan are responsible for a big portion of that increase, but the uptick in activity is unmistakable…. Subscribe to Read MoreAlready a member? Log
Opportunity Ahead for PE? The finance community has been hit hard the past few weeks. Even long-term asset classes like venture are keeping tabs on short-term fluctuations in the market. Private equity doesn’t seem as concerned, and shouldn’t be. The biblical seller’s market that began in… Subscribe to Read MoreAlready a member? Log in here...
It’s become common knowledge (and maybe conventional wisdom) that PE buyers are much more disciplined today than they were in 2007. One useful comparison is the amount of PE capital spent versus the amount raised. Going back to 2011, note the correlation between the two totals and how little they deviate from one another. This suggests…
Do holding periods go down from here? For the first time since the crisis, the median holding period for private equity is heading downward. For all exits, the H1 median came in at 5.25 years, a sharp fall from the 6.12 median at year end. Companies that were… Subscribe to Read MoreAlready a member? Log
Another big year in the works The U.S. middle market is heading toward another big year. Through H1, 895 deals worth a combined $159 billion have closed, not far off the pace of last year’s records. This despite another jump in median purchase price multiples, which hit 10.5x through the end of June. Valuations have risen… Subscribe
Take-privates making a comeback? One of the big differences between today’s M&A boom and 2007’s comes down to which buyers were involved. Almost a decade ago, PE firms were the muscle behind M&A. Mega-buyouts in the $10B+ category were common, inflating overall deal activity to record levels. Today’s market is… Subscribe to Read MoreAlready a